Elementalism
by Coolspygirl
Summary: All Harry wanted was a peaceful summer to start off a hopefully dull school year at Hogwarts. What he got was an odd creature inheritance and the death of a student by his own hands. With Voldemort on the rise and parents in an uproar at the gruesome event, Dumbledore decides to send Harry to U.A so that Harry can grasp some control over his new powers.
1. Chapter 1

Contrary to popular belief, Harry did not care about his birthday.

How could he anyway? Hermione and Ron were wonderful friends and while he was always grateful for their gifts and words of encouragement, it really was the only thing to remind Harry that he was in fact born on a specific day like everyone else and didn't just pop into existence on his mother's whim.

Besides that, his birthday was like any other day in his Uncle's household. It still brought chores and his cousin's consistent maltreatment. After years of his family not even acknowledging it, how could he ever bother to acknowledge such a seemingly mundane day?

No, Harry's 16th birthday was the last thing on his mind on the night of July 30th. Having finished his housework for the day, Harry settled in his bed with plenty of time to spare. A quidditch book Hermione had given him for Christmas stretched out on his lap as he attempted to lull himself to sleep.

The attempt wasn't in vain as he was out not even a few minutes later.

Today had been a rather stressful day for Harry. The housework had been endless as Aunt Petunia was preparing to host some reading club in the living room. Harry, seeing the opportunity to leave the house for a few hours, cleaned vigorously and made sure he left no corner untouched. That particular choice was proving to be a mistake as his body ached and longed for an extended break.

The real stress had come not 10 minutes later when he finally got around to opening the only letter he had received so far. It was from Dumbledore and simply stated that he would have to stay at the Dursleys until mid-August instead of leaving on his birthday. It also urged him to report any changes that might occur, but Harry couldn't figure out what "changes" Dumbledore could have meant. It wasn't like he had just hit puberty.

None-the-less, Harry kept Dumbledore's strange request at the back of his mind as he tried to figure out a way to do his homework without his Uncle knowing. He had planned to do it once he left with Hermione's help, of course, but now he could already feel the exhaustion he was going to have to endure from the late nights he would no doubt have to spend to finish it all.

That's how Harry found himself going to bed earlier than usual (and natural for a teen his age). It was also why he was slightly agitated when he awoke feeling sick down to his stomach at three in the morning.

His shoulder-length hair felt greasy and stuck to the back of his head like a mosquito. Why his hair was quite a bit longer than when he went to bed, Harry didn't know. Whatever it was, it was making the room spin and giving him a nice headache to boot.

With a groan Harry sat up, aware that he felt weightless and momentarily suspended in the air. The odd feeling only got odder as he stumbled into the bathroom. Looking into the mirror, Harry immediately realized he wasn't wearing his glasses. Startled, Harry brought a shaky hand to his eyes.

His eyesight wasn't perfect, the place was still a bit blurry. Still, it was better than when he went to bed. But why?

In his confused daze, Harry wasn't ready for the sudden cramp in his stomach that sent him reeling over the toilet seat. Shivering, Harry cursed the Dursleys in his mind as he quickly started dry-heaving. If he had been given food to eat he probably wouldn't feel like his throat was being torn apart. If he hadn't been overworked and had made better sleeping habits from the start he also wouldn't have gotten sick, Harry scolded himself.

The moment he felt like he was fine enough to stand, Harry reached into the bathroom cupboard to grab a bucket. A sudden rush of fatigue on top of his consistent headache persuaded Harry from going downstairs to get some medicine though. He was most likely delirious and had imagined his long hair and better eyesight, so had wisely decided to head right back to bed and sleep off the worse of his sickness.

Looking back on it now, Harry wished it could have just been the fever or the flu. At least then the sickness would have saved him from all the pain and drama he would also have to endure in the months to come.

The next morning Harry still didn't need his glasses and his once shoulder-length hair reached up to his waist. Despite those two things and his slightly feminine features, Harry couldn't have said he changed all that much.

Uncle Vernon and Dudley had given him odd looks while Aunt Petunia only seemed a bit wary at the change. Harry didn't really let them decide on if they liked it or not as he made it a habit to stay out of their way for as long as he could so they would just not talk or even think about it. Must have worked as his summer passed on relatively quickly with the same schedule that he had followed before his magic had decided to choose which gender he was for him.

Despite Dumbledore's note, Harry didn't report just what had happened that night. Harry couldn't bring himself to, not so soon after Sirius's death and the way he had trashed the headmaster's office. Call it pride or guilt if you will, but Harry knew he wasn't ready to meet the headmaster just yet. While he was a bit annoyed the man hadn't made an effort to try to talk to him or explain the prophecy that basically said he would die if he couldn't defeat Voldemort, Harry was also grateful the man had given him time to breathe.

He was supposed to be grieving, getting the shock of Sirius's death out of his head. Pushing the man to the back of his mind and going into autopilot was the worst thing he could have done for his health, but he also couldn't muster enough courage to face the fact that he was the cause of the man's death. He just couldn't face his problems, so he sent them away. Ignored them.

With the school year just around the corner, Harry had made sure to send a letter to Dumbledore telling him that he would like to stay at his uncle's place until the start of the school year. It was the first letter this summer Harry had ever sent to the man, and it was very blunt and straight to the point. Looking back on it, the letter must have been two sentences at most. The request was so strange Dumbledore actually sent a reply the next day asking if Harry was sure it was what he wanted.

A rather short note from Ron was also received a few days after. The boy had no doubt heard that Harry probably wasn't coming over this summer like he always did. The fact that it was by Harry's own request made everyone uneasy. Harry never replied back to either of them.

That's how Harry found himself in front of a wall he was all too familiar with, hair tied up in a ponytail with a sweatshirt he had borrowed from Dudley. It hung off his delicate frame and hid any of the feminine curves Harry could find. The sweatshirt was a light cream color with some logo from some sports team Dudley seemed to like. It was strange that Dudley would allow him to borrow it, but the boy had.

Harry didn't have a pair of jeans that fit him, so he simply wore the smallest one he could find which was still a bit big, but bearable with a belt. Pushing his trunk through the wall, Harry was thankful Dumbledore had sent him all his school supplies.

The headmaster had no doubt remembered that the two were supposed to go shopping before the term. Harry doubted the headmaster would have actually gone with him, but he would have sent a member of the order. Harry felt a pang of guilt at inconveniencing the headmaster like that and had made a mental note to pay the man back once he had the chance to go into his vault. Manning up and seeing him once the term started was also on his to-do list. To report what he should have during the summer, his change.

Looking around, Harry realized he had gotten to the station early, which was something he had never managed to do. He had been around the Weasleys for so long rushing to jump on the train seemed almost natural.

Not thirty minutes later, Harry was rushing through the doors to find a compartment, eager to get out of the eyes of a few students who had also made it early. They were staring at him, but it took awhile for Harry to realize that it wasn't him being Harry Potter that made them stare, but that he looked new.

Not different, but completely new to Hogwarts. Only the wiser of the bunch bothered to remember that Harry had Hedwig with him, an owl that stuck out like a sore thumb in terms of pets. For students with a more open mind, it was easy to connect the dots. After all, Harry didn't look that different besides the hair and lack of glasses. While farfetched, Harry knew someone would guess right and for once in his life, their opinions made him nervous.

Rushing into a random empty compartment at the back of the train, Harry quickly sat down and rested his head on the window. Just what had happened that night? He didn't feel different, but it's like his instincts had changed. The inner voice in his head seemed to grow more self-conscious? Harry supposed it was bound to happen anyway, but one does not simply develop a fashion sense overnight. That creeped Harry out.

With a sigh, Harry dropped Hedwig's cage on the seat in front of him. She let out an annoyed hoot, but all Harry did was laugh at her misfortune. He couldn't help but take note that he had been isolated for far too long. Besides risking his life asking Dudley for a sweatshirt, it seemed Harry was a bit too focused on staying out of sight and out of mind from everybody in general, not just his family.

With a jolt, Harry tensed up when the door to his compartment slid open and curious brown eyes peeked inside. Joy rushed through Harry as he opened his mouth to greet his friend, but Hermione was much faster.

"I'm sorry, I thought this compartment was empty. If you don't mind me asking, what's your name? I don't think I've seen you around here before. My name is Hermione," Hermione rushed out in a single breath, something that was so typical of her Harry couldn't help but smile, though his eyes showed just how much a seemingly nice question had hurt him. Hermione hadn't recognized him.

Hermione's eyes narrowed as if sensing his emotions, causing Harry to grimace. She always had been able to read him like an open book. Opening the door a bit wider, the girl looked around the compartment with a neutral expression on her face.

Harry could only stare himself as Hedwig captured Hermione's full attention. Her poker face immediately dropped as a look of confusion overtook her features while she alternated between looking at the Harry and his pet. Harry was about to try talking again when Hermione lunged at him. Grabbing his ponytail and tugging it so his head was tilted up to the roof, the girl grabbed his bangs and lifted it. The silence in the compartment was almost deafening as his lightning bolt scar sat proudly on his forehead.

"Hermione," Harry whispered, but he never got a chance to explain as the girl swiftly got up and left without another word. Harry didn't miss the look on her face; however, as she walked away.

It wasn't of anger or frustration like he had originally thought based on her reaction, but a face full of disappointment and guilt.


	2. Chapter 2

Self-Destructive was the only word Harry could think of to describe the only possible outcome of what he was doing. Not even ten minutes had passed since Hermione had left, yet he was already trying to stuff his apparent fall out with her in the back of his mind alongside the guilt of Sirius's death.

Just why had the girl acted that way anyway?

Harry couldn't help but wrap his arms protectively around his chest as he thought of just how much he had changed. Maybe it was the lack of glasses on his face along with the long hair? Shaking his head, Harry quickly dismissed the possibility. Even though she was a girl, Hermione was still his friend. In the five years they knew each other, Hermione had woken him up plenty of times. It was incredibly important to note that Harry never willingly slept with his glasses on. Seeing him without his glasses wasn't a new ordeal, and long hair doesn't change your features.

There was another short pause as Harry thought of what might have alarmed her when a sudden thought struck him.

Harry groaned, face doing a nice impression of a tomato. It was the fashion sense, wasn't it? Was it so impossible to imagine himself having fashion? It wasn't even much, just a baggy sweatshirt and jeans, though Harry supposed it wasn't his normal rags.

"I don't show up looking homeless for one year and Hermione loses it," Harry muttered softly to Hedwig, not entirely surprised when the owl just stared at him blankly. He couldn't tell if Hedwig was contemplating his stupidity or simply just didn't care about human affairs. Harry quickly looked out the window to hide the small smile on his face. Not that Hedwig had any idea or anything, but Harry knew his bird was a gossip. Pointing out that his statement was not stupid, but a valid concern seemed like too much of a hassle. Even if she was in her cage.

Without any warning, Harry's door was slammed open as Hermione burst through again. Like before, she lunged at Harry, but instead of going for his bangs his friend simply wrapped her arms around Harry in a protective hug.

"I'm so sorry," She whispered, sounding on the verge of tears as Harry awkwardly patted her on the shoulder.

A chuckle rippled through the air as Harry focused his attention above Hermione's bushy hair to Ron's joyful face.

"You did it again mate," Ron said simply, sitting down next to Hedwig as he observed the scene.

"What did I do?" Harry questioned, eyes jumping between Hermione and Ron. Hermione promptly ignored Ron.

"Did you get my birthday gift, Harry?" Hermione asked, randomly changing the subject. Harry grimaced slightly, before nodding. The girl had gotten him a homework planner, a rather annoying book that was constantly shouting at him not to procrastinate and do his homework. He had to throw it away because it was constantly talking and Harry hadn't wanted Uncle Vernon to find it. A silencing charm would have worked wonders if he was allowed to use magic over the summer.

Hermione, as if reading Harry's thoughts on just how useful the gift had been to him, sighed. She threw herself on the seat beside Harry, eyes not meeting any of her friends' faces.

"Ron told me you might have gone through a creature inheritance. It would explain your appearance. It must have been so painful, and you must have been freaking out with the sudden change. I could have given you anything Harry," Hermione ranted miserably. "I could have given you a book to read to distract yourself from your inheritance. Something useful that would allow us to communicate would have been nice too. Instead, I got you some stupid book that probably stressed you out," Hermione finished. A single tear slipping out of her eyes as she stared at her hands. Harry's eyes widened as he realized just what was troubling his friend.

"I threw that book away Hermione," Harry stated honestly. Hermione's eyes snapped up to meet Harry's in alarm as Ron choked. There was silence for a fraction of a second before Ron was on the floor laughing his head off. Any tears that were in Hermione's eyes vanished and was replaced with mock horror at the thought of any book laying in a trash can.

"Harry James Potter, please tell me you did not throw my homework planner in the trash can," Hermione scolded playfully, relieved that her gift hadn't ruined his entire summer.

Harry merely shrugged.

The three lapsed into a comfortable silence as Hermione rummaged through her school bag for something to read. Ron raised an eyebrow when she brought out three books instead of one. Harry coughed as one of the three books was shoved into his hands, it was a copy of 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'.

"We need to figure out what creature you are Harry," Hermione muttered, mostly to herself than to Harry. Ron was the one who answered.

"Does it really matter what creature he is?" Ron whined pitifully as he sulked in his seat at the thought of doing research. Hermione scoffed at him.

"What if Harry was a creature that needs a mate? We need to figure out what creature he is, the risk he poses around other students, hints on if he is a submissive or a dominant creature, and all the different stuff he can do," Hermione rambled, absorbed in her own copy of some random book about different creatures.

Ron groaned but didn't question her reasoning. Harry simply smiled at his two friends. He sure loved them, but there was a problem.

"Wouldn't it be safe to just assume I'm a Veela?" Harry questioned gently. Ron opened his mouth to answer but Hermione beat him to it.

"Veela's don't undergo an inheritance, Harry. It's like us with our magic, we were born with it. Even though we train our magic at a certain age doesn't mean we didn't show any signs of magic prior to it. You're either born a full veela or a half like Fleur. It's not something you can inherit. which makes me wonder," Hermione explained quickly, eyes cast up to the ceiling in thought.

"There are three classifications of magical creatures. Beast, Being, and Spirit Creatures. A being creature is generally 'any creature that has enough intelligence to understand the magical community's laws and bear some responsibility for shaping those laws'. Any creature who can't are classified as beasts with exceptions of ghosts who go into the Spirit section. Some creatures like leprechauns and merpeople are classified as beasts after rejecting the "being status," Hermione lectured from the top of her head.

"Creatures like veelas don't really have a status in the creature spectrum. I think we should start there Harry. Most human-like creatures end up without a status mainly because a lot isn't known about them or their culture. I doubt you're a werewolf, vampire, or veela. We should come up with a list of the creatures you could be and research more when we get to Hogwarts," Hermione finished happily, eyes cast back down to her book.

Ron blinked.

"When is the prefect meeting, Hermione?" He asked after a short pause. Hermione's eyes widened, and without even checking her watch, the girl started dragging Ron out of the compartment while scolding herself softly for losing track of time.

Harry sighed and pulled out a piece of paper. Following Hermione's instructions, he flipped to the page with creatures that didn't have a status and wrote down the names he wasn't familiar with. It was a rather sad list with only two names, but it was simple enough. Once he was done, he slipped into his school robes and let his hair out of his tight ponytail. The more people that didn't recognize him, the better. At the moment; however, he just felt like hiding away now that his friends were gone.

Fanning his hair to cover the majority of his face, Harry bolted out of his compartment and right into the bathroom. Casting a locking charm on the door, Harry let out a breath of air when he finally felt safe.

Pulling out his little purse with makeup inside, Harry set to making himself look as un-Harry as possible. If he was being completely honest, this was embarrassing as hell. He was not a girl and while guys did wear make-up, it just wasn't for him. Harry didn't know how long he spent in the bathroom reading the different products he stole from his aunt, or how long it took him to make himself look decent enough not to gag, but it was apparently more than enough time for the train to reach Hogwarts.

Taking a deep breath, Harry ran back to his compartment. While he was still wearing his pants from earlier, Harry had traded Dudley's sweater for his school shirt. Now, he simply dropped the piece of clothing over Hedwig's cage so no one could see her, then left.

People stared.

It was the one thing Harry noticed as he dropped Hedwig with his trunk, before looking for a carriage to take to the castle. While he did turn some heads, when Harry managed to think of something else, he realized that the stares weren't even that bad.

Hermione and Ron didn't make it to the carriage. Instead, he sat in the midst of some 5th years he didn't really know. If he was being honest, he didn't even mind them. They were sweet Hufflepuffs who made him feel right at home despite the age difference. Harry had introduced himself as Harley, simply because using his real name would bring more attention to his features. The name Harley didn't completely ignore the name his parents' had given him, but it still made him uncomfortable, like he was betraying them.

Not long after he was at the castle and the sorting had begun. He had seen Ron and Hermione, but the two didn't bother to come to him, something he as grateful for. No, he ate alone, surrounded again by Gryffindors he didn't really know who was still relatively nice to him.

Harry didn't know whether to laugh or move seats when the group he was with started gossiping about Harry Potter's strange disappearance.

One boy had even started a betting pool on how Harry would come in. One girl claimed he'd ride in on a flying car again, while another said Professor Snape would probably drag him by his ears through the door.

Harry couldn't help but put his own two cents in and claim that Harry was already in the hall, but invisible or disguised as someone else. Their look of disbelief at his suggestion almost made Harry cackle, but instead, he simply ate his food while schooling his features.

He was out of the Great Hall the moment dinner was over. With a little pep in his steps, Harry rushed to the Headmaster's office. Before he could even try and guess which candy Dumbledore had set for the start of the year, the doors opened.

"Shall we take a walk?" Dumbledore asked cheerfully, a twinkle in his eyes as he looked down at Harry. Harry nodded mutely.

Without hesitating, Dumbledore started walking in a seemingly random direction, Harry following at a slower pace. The Headmaster was the same as ever, though he looked years older somehow. He had even opted to wear a dull green robe then his usual bright and seriously mismatched outfit. Was the headmaster going through a phase of depression? Harry winced, Professor Dumbledore's eyes were too bright for that. Was this simply maturity?

The silence was thick and awkward as they walked on and Harry knew he should apologize for ignoring the man and disobeying a direct order, but his curiosity won out.

"How did you know I would go through some change, Professor?" Harry questioned softly in the night air. The breeze tonight was heavenly and Harry couldn't help but feel that if he so much as yelled he would lose the strange comfort the winds brought with them. Dumbledore, as if sensing the mood in the castle also answered in a somewhat hushed voice.

"Professor Trelawney told me of course."

Harry side-eyed the headmaster. Harry knew she was a seer, but that didn't make her trustworthy. She was like the internet. Not everything there was true and more often than not information can contradict each other if you put your trust in the wrong source.

He, of course, didn't voice his opinions as that was rude. Dumbledore, in turn, didn't even try looking for an ounce of disbelief in his face. If he had in fact known about Harry's creature inheritance through her, then she couldn't be that much of a sham. At least, not all the time.

"Did she say anything else?" Harry pressed desperately. Maybe she knew what creature he was? That would save him so much trouble and he wouldn't have Hermione breathing down his neck urging him to gather as much information as possible. Especially with classes in the morning and homework somewhere in the near future.

Dumbledore smiled as he reached into his pockets. He pulled out a paper and without asking, Dumbledore grabbed Harry's hand and placed the paper in his palm.

"I'm sure you can find your way back to the dorms?" Dumbledore asked patiently, completely ignoring Harry's earlier question. Harry looked around, before realizing that he did, in fact, know the way. The two were standing in front of what appeared to be a closet door, the number 69 engraved in the wood. It was odd, because he had crossed this path multiple times to enter his dorm, yet he never noticed the door.

"The doors pop up a random and disappear the same way. There is no set time limit and even if you were to be inside, you would find yourself in numerous different cycles at numerous different places in the castle. It is unknown how long the doors stay before moving, but they do rather like making themselves known at night. Troublesome if you ask me. I do think it would be rather nice for you not to venture at night this year. I feel it would be highly beneficial to your overall health, I'm not sure about your future though," Dumbledore murmured thoughtfully.

His eyes quickly softened though at Harry's startled look.

"Don't worry about it," Dumbledore stated finally, eyes glazed over as he stared at the door. "Head up to bed my dear boy, we shall worry about this issue another day,"

Harry had a small feeling that Dumbledore wasn't talking about his inheritance issues. Was this a personal problem? With a sigh, Harry waved goodbye as he headed up to his bed, completely unaware of the pair of watchful eyes that followed his footsteps.

Dumbledore; however, couldn't have been more aware of those eyes.

"Rather late for you to be wandering around Miss. Lovegood," Dumbledore chuckled, not entirely surprised as said girl peeked out from behind the wall she was hiding behind.

"I'm sorry Professor, I just followed the Wrackspurts and they lead me here. They really seem to like Harry for some reason," Luna whispered dreamily, eyes looking at the door to the closet instead of at the headmaster.

"That sure is a lot of Heliopaths galloping around that door Professor. Why are they trying to destroy it?" Luna pressed gently. Dumbledore could only chuckle.

"Cause that door loves destruction, my dear,"


	3. Chapter 3

"What is she up to now?" Harry asked Ron as soon as they entered the Great Hall for breakfast. He was currently referring to the white letter Hermione had most likely put down on top of an empty plate. There was nothing particularly unusual about a letter, but with Hermione, it could be as innocent as instructions to a particular potion or as life-changing as a signed petition giving house-elves more rights and a citizenship of some sorts.

Ron shrugged, but even though Harry didn't catch any negative emotions flicker across his face, he knew his friend had stiffened. It was as if he had an idea about what the letter could mean, but didn't like the idea at all.

"I don't know mate," Ron answered, walking away so he could circle around the huge table to sit across from Hermione. Hermione, spotting Ron coming, turned to look around the Great Hall. When her eyes fell on Harry, she motioned for him to sit down next to her. Harry didn't know how to feel considering the seat she wanted him to take was also the seat with the letter on the plate. Who would be writing to him on the first day back to school anyway? The Dursleys weren't that nice and Professor Dumbledore saw him last night.

"Good Morning. How was the first night Harry?" Hermione questioned the moment he settled down. Harry glanced at the girl beside him, before picking up the letter to inspect it.

"I came up late last night and left fairly early this morning; no one could question me yet," Harry muttered after he had thoroughly inspected the outside of the letter. It really wasn't anything special, and he was not trying to avoid confronting anyone about his change by the way. The Hogwarts gossip mill would fill everyone in soon enough, no need to rush the inevitable.

"That's an invitation to Professor Slughorn's party," Hermione explained, noticing where Harry's attention seemed to be at the moment. Professor Slughorn was their new Potion Professor, something Harry had barely remembered from last night's feast. He couldn't really remember who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was; however, as he wasn't paying that much attention.

"Why do we need invitations?" Harry muttered, throwing his letter aside in favor of breakfast now that he knew the contents of said letter. He didn't really like parties all that much.

"Professor Slughorn is making a club for outstanding students that he himself personally hand-picked. This party is more of an interview to see if you are qualified to join," Hermione added, turning only to scold Ron for stuffing his mouth and to also remind him of his manners. It probably would have been a normal morning if she had, but Ron wasn't stuffing his mouth. Instead, he was moving his food around his fork and refusing to meet their questioning gaze.

It made Harry realize that Ron hadn't gotten an invite.

Harry's eyes narrowed at that. Hermione getting one was plainly obvious as she was the brightest witch in their year. Ron? He was fairly average, but so was Harry. They also did everything together, so Harry was practically the same as Ron. Professor Slughorn couldn't have broadcasted the fact that Harry was only chosen because he was the "boy-who-lived" louder then he did at that moment. Harry found himself resenting the man already for it.

"I got a better invitation for the two of you," Harry started, stifling his chuckle at Hermione's raised eyebrows. He wasn't usually that smooth at changing the subject, and they both knew it. She really didn't have to rub it in though.

Turning to rummage through his bag, Harry pulled out the note Dumbledore had given him last night. What he thought had been a note under further inspection had actually turned out to be a permission slip to check out a book titled, _The Changers_, from the restricted area of the library_. _Coincidental isn't it? Looking back at this moment, the correct word for the book would have been "ironic".

Giving Hermione the paper, he quickly explained to his two best friends the conversation he and Dumbledore had, also starting to eat as he talked now that breakfast was almost over. Hermione looked like she wanted to ask him something when he had finished with his explanation but instead remained silent. Ron, looking less than thrilled with the thought of having to go to the library after class, muttered something about classes starting soon as he finally reverted back to eating like a barbarian. Hermione, not missing her chance, stood up and whacked him. Harry smiled, all was well again.

It wasn't until the trio made it to the DADA classroom that the world decided it didn't want to be well today.

"What's the greasy bat doing here," Harry hissed, staring up ahead at Snape as they entered the classroom. The man, though not hearing Harry's comment, turned as if to greet them before pausing when his eyes fell on the trio. Ron let out a small groan as if it pained him to even think about Snape.

"And we came _early_ for this shit?" Ron sneered.

"Ronald We ~,"

"Miss Granger," Snape interrupted, his voice as sharp as a knife. "Unless you need additional assistance in guiding yourself and your companions towards a desk I suggest you move out of the door frame. My other students wouldn't want to look at such unbecoming behavior so early in the morning,"

Hermione, face flaming red, nodded as she dragged Ron towards a desk in the middle of the classroom. Harry followed at a slower pace, hand going towards his long hair which he kept in a ponytail today, bangs out so no one would question him. Harry's favorite class taught by his most hated professor, this was his life now.

The three sat in awkward silence as students started trickling in. It wasn't until the last student entered before Snape finally looked up from his work. Harry felt something inside of him die as the man slowly looked around the classroom, then again as if confused. Reaching into his desk, Snape pulled out a piece of parchment, eyes bouncing between looking at each of his students and reading the paper.

"Where is Mr. Potter?" Snape sneered at last, eyes scanning the room again before coming to rest on Harry. The once deathly quiet classroom immediately erupted in whispers. To them, Harry Potter had been missing since the school year started yesterday. While Harry knew his secret was bound to be revealed eventually, he didn't expect it to be so soon or even like this.

"Here Professor," Harry stated bluntly, mentally grimacing at the fact that his voice had even taken on a more neutral pitch instead of the deep one he used to be familiar with. Had it been like that since the summer or was it a gradual thing he just noticed? Harry quickly hid the look of horror that flashed on his face when he realized that if it was a gradual thing, his voice could end up incredibly high-pitched within the next few months.

"Is this a joke to you?" Snape hissed angrily, drawing Harry's attention back to the fact that the man looked livid.

"No sir, I merely grew my hair out this summer," Harry lied, a bit startled that the man had gotten so mad over his appearance. Professor Snape's eyes narrowed at that, probably taking his honest remark as sass.

"Has it never occurred to you that you can cut your hair to make it decent enough for school Mr. Potter," Snape shot back harshly. "I will not tolerate your latest attention-seeking stunt in this classroom again. I expect to see some change by tomorrow,"

"Yes sir," Harry muttered, quite embarrassed that he hadn't actually thought of cutting his hair himself. Professor Snape, seemingly satisfied with the fact that he had picked on his least favorite student, finally instructed the rest of the class to open their books to page four and start reading. Harry was semi-relieved with that instruction as it forced the majority of the class to stop staring and maybe even stop thinking about him. It wasn't until the class was halfway over that Harry heard the snickering. Since Harry was almost done with his reading, he spared a few seconds to glance up and towards the noise.

It led him to the Slytherin side of the room where Malfoy was whispering something to Theodore Nott. The boy looked amused at what was being said but also a bit curious. Theo glanced Harry's way but quickly looked away when he saw Harry was watching. Pansy, who was leaning on Malfoy and therefore probably heard what was being said was the one snickering, her eyes meeting Harry's confused one without an ounce of shame.

Harry sighed and went back to his reading. Malfoy's bodyguards looked just as confused as he felt from behind Malfoy with an unamused Blaise in tow, so maybe it was just some cheap shot at his appearance. Better yet, some stupid Slytherin joke that had nothing to do with him. It wasn't until Harry went to scratch his suddenly itchy leg that he realized just what all the fuss was about.

Where were his pants?

Harry immediately brought both his hands up to his book to grip it without letting his panic show. Bravely looking down, Harry blushed when he realized that while his school cloak remained the same, his white school shirt was tighter around his chest and not long enough to cover his entire stomach. It was as if he was wearing a crop-top with a bright red bra showing from underneath his shirt. Where his pants used to be was an incredibly short skirt that would have reached the bottom of his boxer shorts if he had been wearing any.

Harry was positive he had put on underwear this morning, but with his sudden new attire went the one thing he wanted the most. Harry turned around to face the Slytherins, all of which had blank expressions on their faces, except for Pansy who had a smirk plastered on hers. Harry politely flipped them off with his middle finger, before turning around in his seat when the laughter resumed. They obviously couldn't see what exactly the spell had done as they were seated behind him. That didn't mean the people at the front couldn't turn around and see his predicament.

Harry really hoped no one would turn around, but with the way they were laughing back there, someone was bound to turn. Worse yet, Snape was going to look up and see him and then he'd really be in trouble.

"Bloody hell," Ron snapped suddenly, obviously annoyed as he turned around to face the Slytherins. His anger was short-lived as he caught sight of Harry.

"Bloody Hell!" Ron squeaked loudly with a look of horror on his face, causing Hermione to finally look up. Harry quickly drew his cloak around his chest in a self-conscious manner as more than a few people looked back at the commotion. So this is what it must feel like to die of embarrassment.

"Ron, shut up," Harry hissed when the laughter spread across the Slytherin side of the room; the rumor of what Malfoy had done no doubt spreading with Ron's outburst.

"What is the meaning of this?" Professor Snape yelled over the noise, hushing the room immediately. Draco, curse his soul, was the one to answer.

"It's Potter, Professor," The boy exclaimed joyfully, much to Harry's dismay. Professor Snape glanced at Harry, taking in his bright red face and shaking hands as he held his cloak tightly closed.

"Stand up, Mr. Potter," Snape commanded, everyone catching a quick glimpse of bare legs as Harry quickly followed the teacher's command.

"Take off your cloak Potter," Snape added. Harry sighed, looking around the room before resting his eyes on Hermione's confused face and Ron's apologetic one. Harry sighed again when it looked like Snape was getting ready to hex the cloak off, instead he let his cloak fall to the ground naturally. Harry held his breath as the class got a very good look at his situation, complete with the bright red bra and indecent skirt length. His wider than normal hip and small waist making his frame look more petite than lithe.

"Mr. Potter," Snape started, but Harry wasn't hearing any of it. Quickly bending down to pick up his bag with one hand guarding the bottom of his skirt, Harry stormed out of the classroom, towards the dormitory to get a change of clothes. Rushing up the stairs and into his room, Harry brought out a piece of paper and quickly scribbled a small thank you note that one would typically give to their boyfriend or girlfriend after a date.

Pulling on a pair of underwear and pants, Harry took off the bra and put the note inside, laying it on the bed next to his invisibility cloak. After pulling on a shirt that actually fit him, Harry wore on his invisibility cloak and stuffed his other one in his bag. Making his way back to class, Harry was relieved to note the door hadn't been closed since his outburst and everyone was still reading, though many people were in groups gossiping. Making his way to Malfoy, Harry quickly but quietly dragged his bag under his cloak and brought out a Transfiguration textbook.

Putting the bra and note inside, Harry returned the bag where he found it. Sneaking back out of the classroom, Harry was relieved no one had noticed and even let out a few chuckles of his own at the thought of what might happen next. With a few minutes to spare, Harry made his way towards the library, switching out his cloaks and checking out the book Dumbledore had given him access to in the restricted section.

In record time, Harry was sitting in his next class watching as the students trickled in. Thankfully, this class wasn't shared with Slytherins so Harry didn't have to worry about much. He had planned on giving the book he had gotten to Hermione tonight for her to review considering he had plans for the night. But alas, he still had a day full of classes and gossip to go though.

* * *

"What were you thinking?" Hermione demanded as she settled beside Harry at the dinner table.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Harry admitted honestly, attention miles away as he searched for a certain group of students.

"I'm talking about the stunt you pulled on Draco," Hermione hissed, drawing Harry's full attention for the time being.

"You saw me?" Harry asked confused.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione snapped momentarily confused.

"You know, put that _thing_ in his bag?" Harry elaborated.

"No, I don't even know when you did it. All I heard is ~," Hermione started but was immediately cut off by Harry abruptly getting up.

"It's probably just a rumor then, forget it. I also went to the library earlier and got the book we needed to review to figure out what happened to me," Harry interrupted, pulling it out of his bag and letting it drop noisily in front of Hermione.

"You self-centered git, I was talking to you," Hermione scolded, but Harry only smiled. It was way too early for her to be telling him he was being stupid, letting the book distract her this once was going to save him the headache and guilt tomorrow.

"Thank you," Harry gushed happily, totally surprised when Hermione pushed the book away moments later. She really did look mad now, maybe he had been too harsh? How bad did he mess with Draco for her to be this livid?

"Hermione," Harry muttered, but the girl merely turned and started gathering food into her plate. Normally Harry would have apologized for what he had done, but he had to do something; something that will no doubt cause a lot more anger in the near future. He'd rather save all his apologies until then or else they might start sounding insincere or worse, she might make him promise to stop looking for trouble.

Harry sighed as he got up, moving towards the group he had sat with during the opening feast yesterday. Even from a distant, he could hear them gossiping about what Hermione was probably trying to tell him.

"Do you really think Draco shagged someone today?" One girl asked hesitantly.

"There was a bra and everything. The note even said: 'Thank you, let's do this again soon'," One boy answered heatedly, for some reason very passionate about the issue.

"Isn't four months of detention a bit harsh though?" Another boy pipped up, a bit away from the four.

"I just want to know who he shagged honestly," The girl from earlier admitted bluntly.

"I think it was Potter actually. Did you know Potter was wearing that bra earlier today in Potions?" Someone muttered, drawing a few confused and disbelieving looks. Harry decided now was the time to intervene, gently settling beside the boy who had mentioned the note. Harry immediately noted that a few of the students around him went deadly silent, while the group looked on in confusion.

"You didn't know?" Harry started with a smile after he had silently gotten all of their attention.

"I decided to grow out my hair and look more feminine for Malfoy so he wouldn't be so embarrassed about us dating," Harry chuckled, knowing full well everything he said was being pulled from his butt. Harry almost laughed when he saw the shocked look on literally everyone's faces.

"I had told him to stop being so open about my position in the relationship from the start, but that git decided to pull that prank in Potions so I shagged him and got revenge," Harry finished cheerfully, not entirely embarrassed of admitting something that should have been personal. After all, it wasn't true, but Malfoy was still going to wish he hadn't been a slimy snake in Potions.

Absorbed in his musing, Harry wasn't really ready for the sudden noise of everyone asking him questions at the same time. Harry could see Hermione staring at him from where he left her, confused and a bit suspicious. It wasn't hard to figure out why as the students who weren't near him were telling their friends about what was going on. The other tables weren't left in the dark for long as he could see some Gryffindors heading to the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff table.

Draco was so screwed.

"By the way," Harry started, facing the boy on his right. "You all still owe me money from the betting pool yesterday. I want it before the month ends," Harry finished, satisfied when the boy paled and nodded. Harry looked again in Hermione's direction, amused that she had let in the middle of all the noise. The book she had rejected nowhere in sight.

About done with all the drama he had started, Harry calmly retired to his room where he grabbed a pair of scissors. Just how short was he going to cut it anyway? Harry smirked as an idea came to mind, before looking through his trunk for his photo album.

"Mate?" Ron called, no doubt having just come up from dinner. The boy had wisely decided to sit with their dorm mates today since Hermione was obviously in a bad mood at the time.

"Look, I just wanted to say that if sh~dating Malfoy makes you happy," Ron started, but was cut off by Harry's sharp laugh.

'Don't finish that sentence, I made it all up to get revenge for Potions," Harry admitted honesty, as he found his album and opened it to his mom and dad's wedding picture. Staring back at an extremely relieved looking Ron, Harry winked as he cut his hair to match his mother's hair length in the picture. To be honest, his hair was still quite long, but not so long that he had to wear it in a ponytail anymore.

"Now," Harry said, moving the album in a way that Ron could see, fingers pointed at his mother.

"Do you by chance know a spell to change my hair color?" Harry asked mischievously.

Ron, bless his soul, seemed to alternate between Harry and the photo for a brief moment before his eyes widened in realization.

"Bloody Hell,"


End file.
